Tests v Sri Lanka

A few months ago, on a board with a not dissimilair name to this one, I remember speculating about the likely path of Cook's captaincy. I thought that England would prepare mostly green wickets for the Sri Lankans and that in those conditions England's swing bowlers would probably give Cook a couple of vicrories which would mask his poor tactical and man-management skills and therefore take him into the India series. Once there, my reasoning went, he would very quickly find himself on the end of humiliating defeats as harder wickets and the preponderance of spin from the Indians unanswerable by England, exposed all of his shortcomings. I foresaw a mid-series resignation conference, although I was not certain about his replacement - I think I suggested Root but without great conviction.

Well, we didn't quite get the pitches right and we didn't quite have the bowling attack I and others assumed - I seem to remember borderman suggesting that Onions would come back into the side and pick up a hatful on damp wickets - and it doesn't look as if we'll reach the Indian part of the drubbing without further massive changes. Other than a change of leadership its hard to see what else could be done to the side, given the newness of most of the batsmen and the lack of spinners in England, or indeed any other part of the United Kingdom.

It has been interesting listening to Swann on Test Match Special this summer. He has been quite witty, and fairly perceptive, and his anecdotes have been to the point, without any lurid revelations. I've been struck by some of his remarks in this Test about Anderson particularly, and others in the side. He has said that the biggest issue for a captain is man-management and followed it up with funny stories about the extreme temperamentalism of Anderson, his single-mindedness and his unforgiving nature, bordering on the pathological, when catches go down off his bowling. What emerges is a picture of a group of very talented, very consciously elite individuals who have become used to being indulged, and whose demanding nature calls for very balanced management. Swann and Pietersen have gone, Trott too, but several remain and it doesn't look as if Cook can rise above his long apprenticeship as one of the boys to take a commanding position that wins him the respect of his star performers, a respect that is demonstrated by their willingness to change their approach. It is this aspect of Cook's captaincy rather than the negative, safety first, approach that can no longer be ignored or explained away by troubles with Flower/Pietersen/superfast bowling/mass defections. He simply doesn't have what it takes to read and react to changed circumstance, and he doesn't carry his key players with him. His own batting form has dropped away almost completely as he struggles with a task that is clearly beyond him. We need that batting even if we don't need the dithering.

I still don't have a clear view of who should succeed him long-term, although I still think that Root will do so one day, and probably do it very well. I think the time has come for Moores to call Bell in and tell him he must take up the responsibility of a senior player, indeed the sole senior player remaining who would have credibility in that role. The fact the Bell himself, Swann and others have said that Bell isn't cut out for it, feels comfortable in his middle-order role, etc, etc, merely smacks of more of that elite group smugness about the way that the group view determines how individuals see themselves. It could really unleash all of the class and style of Bell, that we so desperately need to see: a dominating player who will lead a new team to rebuild itself.

It always seemed very unwise for Cook to moan about Shane Warne's criticism of his captaincy and say that "something has to be done" to shut him up.

Inevitably, Wartne has hit back with his most trenchant criticism yet, accusing Cook at Headingley of the worst captaincy he has ever seen :

www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/cricket/10928664/Alastair-Cooks-captaincy-was-the-worst-I-have-ever-seen-says-Shane-Warne.html

I'm afraid Cook has handled Wartne every bit as naively as he handled England in the field last Monday.